As a basic rule of thumb, the more bells and whistles on your coffee maker, the higher the price tag.  So think carefully about which features matter to you. Many consumers prefer an electric coffee maker that is programmable.  Simply push a button before you go the bed for the night and you can expect a freshly brewed pot of java waiting for you in the morning.  However, do not sleep in too long, because the beverage loses its flavor quite quickly when exposed to air.

Consider purchasing a coffee machine that comes with a thermal carafe.  These are great if you like to fill your mug repeatedly throughout the day.  The thermal carafe keeps the coffee from getting cold and to some degree maintains the flavor.  Units are also available with thermal mugs instead of carafes.

Impatient coffee drinkers will appreciate the pause-and-serve feature.  While it is brewing, you can grab a mug and interrupt the process to fill your cup.  You may not experience the full flavor you would have gotten had the process completed, but you do not have to wait.

Some coffee aficionados insist on electric coffee machines that grind the beans as well as brewing.  Some send the ground beans directly to the filter and then start brewing.  These machines appeal to those who demand absolute freshness but be prepared to pay a lot more for this extra feature.

Are you absent-minded?  Then look for a machine that provides an auto-off button.  No more worrying that you forgot to turn the coffee maker off and are going to return home to a blackened, scorched pot.  This control remembers to turn the pot off for you.  As well, choose controls that are bright and easy to see in a darkened room.  Bending over and fumbling with controls you can barely see is simply irritating.

Like everything else, technology has changed the coffee making industry dramatically.  Years ago, there were only a few choices available.  Today, the selection is limitless. You don’t have to be intimidated by the sheer variety of electric coffee makers on the market if you know what you need before you walk out the door.

Travel mugs can have multiple uses, although they’re basically designed to handle beverages during a drive in a way that eliminates, or reduces, the chances of spilling your drink.  Lids, or covers, are what set travel coffee mugs apart from run of the mill mugs.

If you want to make sure you stay dry during drive time, in addition to having a spill-resistant lid, make sure your vehicle’s cup-holder is compatible with your travel coffee mug. The two main areas of concern are a mug’s handle and the width of its base. If either of those isn’t a match, buying a good quality travel coffee mug will be a waste of time and money.

The selection of travel coffee mugs is wide and varied. For starters, travel mugs come in sizes to suit coffee guzzlers or the more caffeine cautious. Coffee travel mugs that hold 12 to 16 ounces are commonplace and can be found in most mini-marts that have gas pumps out front. But it only takes a few mouse clicks, to zero in on those that handle from 6 to 52 ounces. Buying a travel coffee mug that isn’t too small, or too large, for the amount of coffee, or tea, you want to drink while on the road is a good strategy. Unless, of course, you want to use your travel mug for coffee storage throughout the day.

If you’re trying to cut back on coffee shop beverages or trying to stay away from the hot cup of swill that passes for a good cuppa at your workplace, then buying a large capacity, thermos-like travel mug can be a good investment.  The vacuum insulation makes sure that your beverage — or soup, for that matter — will be just as cold or hot as it was when you poured it into the container hours earlier.

The variety of coffee travel mugs available may make it more challenging to pick the perfect one immediately. But the challenge is worth the extra thought required to come up with the perfect match between travel coffee mugs and your caffeine likes and dislikes.

Then it’s time to give your traveling companion at least as much consideration as you would your order at the local coffee shop.

Travel coffee mugs come in a wide range of styles, colors and sizes. You need to match the coffee mug features to your personality and lifestyle. Coffee mugs, like human traveling companions, are not created equal. You need to find one that’s a perfect fit for you.

A few points to take into consideration when buying a travel coffee mug include:

–Dimensions. Check that the travel mug will fit the cup holder in your vehicle. There are two things to look for: the size of the bottom and the position of the handle. If you don’t use a cup holder, opt for a mug that has a non-slip surface on its broad-based bottom.

–Capacity. Get the right size travel mug. If you love your caffeine, check out the 16 to 24 ounce mugs. But if you prefer a small drink, consider getting an easier to handle 8- or 10-ounce mug.

–Spill resistance. Make sure the lid fits well. Having a secure lid is what sets travel mugs apart from ordinary coffee mugs. A snap-on lid can pop off if the mug’s banged around or dropped. A screw-on lid, however, will stay in place during a mishap but isn’t as easy to open with one hand.

–Construction. Get the best construction you can afford. If you want to keep your coffee, or tea, hot as long as possible, get an vacuum-insulated, double-wall stainless steel travel mug. It’ll probably cost you more upfront, but it gives you the best value for your buck. If your budget is tight, go for a plastic travel mug that’s lined with stainless steel. Plastic liners are easily broken and with repeated use absorb flavors, affecting the taste of your beverage.

–Cleaning. While some travel coffee mugs can be cleaned safely in a dishwasher, many must be hand-washed. Others have more sophisticated lids, such as the auto-seal ones, that are difficult to clean, especially if the beverage it held contained milk, cream or sugar.

–Durability. Travel mugs are commonly made of ceramics, porcelain, plastic or stainless steel. A good quality stainless steel travel coffee mug can last a lifetime while ceramic travel mugs have a shorter lifespan due to breakage.

Capresso 441.05 MT-500 Grind and Brew Coffee Maker

Simply put, they’re coffee brewing machines that contain a built-in coffee grinder. But that’s a huge oversimplification. Many of these cutting edge small appliances have touch keypads, milk frothers, automatic cleaning systems, etc. And the more bells and whistles — some have integrated atomic clocks — the higher the price tag.

While your basic automatic coffeemaker can create a perfectly serviceable cup of Joe, a grind and brew coffee maker, meanwhile, offers variety. Depending on the model, it can dispense espressos, cappuccinos, crema coffees, lattes or even hot chocolate and tea, at the touch of a button.

Producing this bevy of beverages starts with fresh water and whole, fresh coffee beans. With grind and brew coffee machines, the whole beans are ground on demand inside the coffeemaker. (Some of the machines, however, will allow you to use pre-ground coffee, too.) Most grind and brew machines will produce from six to 15 grams of ground coffee; the texture being determined by the type of grinder and your choice of its settings.

After the grinding, the freshly ground coffee moves to the brewing chamber, where the beverage of your selection will be brewed and dispensed. The used grounds will then be deposited into a tray, which will need to be emptied and cleaned manually.

While being able to serve up an astounding range of beverages, and being favored by a growing number of caterers, these trendy appliances haven’t won over everyone. They’re often berated by coffee connoisseurs for being fitted with blade grinders and being of automatic design. Many of the bean to cup machines, especially older models, use blade grinders. However, some brands are now using the preferred burr grinders in entry-levels models.

A range of coffee brewing appliances, from manual to semi-automatic to fully automatic, are manufactured by firms such as Bodum, Bosch, Gaggia, Saeco, Siemens, Jura and Capresso. It all boils down to personal preference and, of course, budget. The cost of grind and brew coffee makers varies greatly; some models, even those for home use, carry prices in the thousands. But entry-level models are available, and their more affordable prices are allowing more coffee drinkers to experiment with a wider variety of beverages in the quest for a better tasting cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Grind and brew coffee makers available to buy online include:

* Capresso 465.05 CoffeeTeam TS 10-Cup Digital with Conical Burr Grinder and Thermal Carafe
* Capresso MG600 10-Cup Programmable with Glass Carafe
* Cuisinart DGB-600BC Grind and Brew (Brushed Chrome) with Bean Vac Coffee Canister
* Cuisinart DGB-650BC Grind-and-Brew Thermal 10-Cup Automatic, Brushed Metal
* Cuisinart DGB-900BC Fully Automatic Burr Grind & Brew Thermal Coffeemaker
* DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine
* Kalorik CCG-24104 Magic Bean 1350-Watt Programmable 10-Cup Automatic Drip Coffeemaker with Burr Grinder
* Krups KM7000 Black Grind-and-Brew 10-Cup With Durgol Decalcifier
* Krups KM7000 Grind-and-Brew 10-Cup, Black
* Melitta MEMB1B Mill & Brew 10-Cup Coffeemaker, Black
* Mr. Coffee GBX25 12-Cup Coffeemaker & Grinder
* Saeco Bean To Brew 10-Cup Automatic Drip Coffee Maker with Glass Carafe and Burr Grinder, Stainless Steel

Bean to cup coffee machines use fresh, whole coffee beans, which are housed inside the coffeemaker in a hopper. The beans are ground on demand, producing anywhere from six to 15 grams of ground coffee, which moves into the machine’s internal brewing chamber.

Once the beans are in the grinder, a wide selection of coffee-based drinks, including just a regular cup of Joe, can be made, depending on the machine’s range of settings. Most any bean to cup coffee maker can brew any of the basic coffee specialty drinks; top models allow coffee lovers to custom-create a staggering variety of beverages.

When the freshly brewed beverage is in cup, the used grounds are ejected into a tray, which must be cleaned and emptied as required.

Brands of bean to cup coffee machines include Gaggia, Saeco, Bosch, DeLonghi, Siemens and Jura. These coffeemakers are designed mainly for home use. However, they’re becoming increasingly popular with workers in small offices, especially those in non-traditional office settings.

But these automatic coffee brewers are not for everyone.

Critics of the grind and brew concept claim the machines fall short in performance, producing an inferior tasting cup of coffee. Commonly, they point to the brewers’ automatic design as problematic and the integrated blade grinder as inferior.

Indeed, the grinder is arguably the most important of all coffee maker accessories. And the grinders inside these machines are blade instead of burr. Critics of grind-and-brew claim the blades pulverize the coffee beans, allowing for bitterness to overcome the brew.

Most of the bean to cup coffee machines are automatic, designed for convenience and ease of use. But critics argue that manually pulling shots is the only way to ensure results that are consistently excellent. As proof, they point to the top coffee shops, where the brew comes exclusively from manual machines.

But the bean to cup coffee machine for home use has grown into a big business. The number of companies producing the machines continues to grow. While many of the new entries into the market, with all manner of bells and whistles, are tempting, it’s usually best to go with an established brand and model, which has been on the market long enough to have the kinks worked out.

If you yearn for a morning cup of coffee brewed from freshly ground beans as soon as you wake up, then you should at least investigate the bean to cup coffee machines.